On the Inside
by Donatellosgirl36
Summary: Bound V2N4. A few short glimpses into family life for the Hamatos. Leo and Jamie share a sad sweet moment in the snow. Star gets a secret admirer and Yoshi is not happy about it. Katsu makes a new friend. And something new is happening between Shinta and Liling.
1. Memory

Disclaimer: I do not the original ninja turtles, however all the other characters in this series belong to me.

Chapter Summary: Leo and Jamie share a sad sweet moment in the snow.

A/N: This is a collection of a few short stories between "Orphan's End" and "Respite or Maybe Not." Just a little peek into family life. I hope you enjoy them!

This one is kind of sad, but sweet. Tissue may be required.

* * *

**Memory**

Leo gave Jamie a soft sad smile as he offered her his hand. She took it with the same smile, stepping out onto the ice beside him. This was the place they'd met, unbeknownst to Jamie at the time. And at the time Leo had no idea he was looking at his future dancing around that small Central Park pond. For a while, they skated in silence holding hands. The wind twirled around them, picking up the dusting of new snow.

He glanced down at her, watching the flakes kiss her cheeks before disappearing. "I know this time of year is always hard on you, but it feels like it's more this year than normal." She looked away and he frowned. "I wish I could do more to make you feel better."

She swiped at the corners of her eyes and let out a shuddering breath. "I'm forgetting them."

Leo felt his chest ache with those words. He was guilty of the same. "It has been a very long time – for both of us. But that doesn't make it feel any better to lose pieces of them." His frown deepened. "I know it must be harder for you, knowing they are resting so far away from here."

She shook her head. "I can remember how John used to make his coffee every morning – two tablespoons of sugar and one of crème. But why can't I remember my baby girl's voice anymore?" Her own voice cracked, soaked with guilt and pain.

Leo's grip tightened on her hand. "I know. It's strange how the mundane everyday things stay with us, while others slip away." He let out a sigh. "I can remember how Amaya would brush her hair – the intensity, the elegance of every stroke." He lifted his free hand to stare at his fingers, before clenching it into a fist. "But I can't remember the feel of it between my fingers anymore."

She nodded her agreement beside him as her own grip tightened on his hand. "And every time I lose a piece, it's like losing them all over again." She came to a stop and looked up at him with unshed tears in her honey-colored eyes. "I don't know how I would have made it all this time without you."

He pulled her against him in a crushing embrace. "Me either." He supposed it was only natural for memories to fade after more than twenty years. But that didn't lessen the guilt that replaced them.

"Thank you." She murmured against his chest.

He stepped back, brushed away the slow trailing tears, and kissed her softly. "Thank you. You have helped me through so much more than just Amaya's death. And you've helped me raise my son. You've loved him like he was your own. You cannot imagine how much that means to me."

"I love you both very much." A small smile began to appear on her lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He squeezed her tightly. "We love you too."

When Jamie stepped back and smiled up at him, something caught her eye. "Hey, where'd that come from? I don't remember it being here the last time."

Leo turned to see what she was looking at. It was a park bench, beneath a tall evergreen. The corner of his mouth twitched up as she skated over to step up onto the bank. He followed off the pond and waited as she approached the bench. On the back was a small brass plate. It read: _In memory of John and Elizabeth Thomas_.

A sob ripped its way out of her throat a moment before she spun and threw her arms around him. "Oh, Leo! You're incredible!"

That small sad smile returned to his features. "Now, you'll always have a place nearby that's theirs." She wept against his chest, dampening the front of his jacket. He held her close as the tears finally ceased. Looking up at the tree above them, he couldn't help the wistful smile. "You know that day you found Shinta, I had seen you here earlier around sunset. You were so beautiful dancing across the ice. And when you were done, you laid here beneath this tree. You looked straight up at me."

"Really? I don't remember seeing you."

He looked back down at her with a smirk. "You weren't supposed to. But I was scared you would." He brushed a hand through her light brown and gray locks. "You were so close. I almost felt like I could reach out and touch you."

She smiled. "Now that would have been an interesting first meeting."

He chuckled. "You probably would have taken off."

She raised a brow. "I didn't take off from Shinta."

"No, but he was still small."

"Oh, so you think, because you were a big strong turtle, I would have run off screaming." She teased.

"Most women do."

She chuckled. "Well, if you haven't noticed by now, I'm not like most women."

He smiled. "So, you would have hung around?"

She smiled as well. "I did, didn't I?"

He squeezed her tightly. "Yeah, you did."

"And I plan on hanging around for lot longer."

He held her gaze, dark blue to soft brown. "Good." They kissed long and deep as new snow began to fall around them, blanketing the world in white. Bringing with it fresh hope and love, and covering the past just enough for now to allow the pain to fall away like the melting flakes.

* * *

A/N: Leo's so sweet!


	2. Jealousy

Chapter summary: Star gets a secret admirer and Yoshi is not happy about it.

* * *

**Jealousy**

Cat and Star were sitting at the front desk of the garage chatting when a young teenage boy pushed his bicycle in the large front doors. Cat raised a blonde brow. "Something we can help you with?"

"My chain fell off. Could you help me put it back on?" The boy couldn't have been more than thirteen.

Cat gave a chuckle of amusement. "Well, we aren't that kind of bike shop, but I don't see why we can't give a hand." She and Star came around the counter, but the intercom came alive stopping Cat short.

"Hey, darlin', we got any more carbon fiber mufflers?" Raphael asked from inside the garage area.

Cat rolled her eyes, making Star giggle. The older woman walked to the intercom and pressed the button to respond. "Yes, I'll come find it." Releasing the button, she looked at Star. "Men, they never can seem to do anything without us." She nodded at the boy. "You can help our little friend here, right?"

Still laughing, Star nodded. "Yeah, I'll take care of him." Cat left and Star turned back to the boy. "Alright, let's turn it over. We'll have you back out there riding in no time."

She smiled and the boy blushed. "Thanks for your help. I'm Ryan." They turned the bike over so its wheels were up.

"I'm Star. It's nice to meet you. Do you live around here?" Star pulled the chain back around the sprocket, making sure it was tight.

The boy watched her intently, but his interest was not on what she was doing but on her. He thought her pale blue eyes were beautiful. "Yeah, we just moved to this neighborhood."

"There, all done." Star flipped the bike back over.

"Thanks. I just got this bike. It was a I'm-sorry-gift from my dad. He and my mom just split up."

Star frowned with a touch of sadness. "Well, at least you still have them. I don't have any parents."

Ryan's eyes went large. "Really? That's too bad."

Star's smile returned. "Oh, it's not that bad. I've got a whole new family now and they're the best!"

Ryan smiled as well. "That's great!" He mounted the bicycle and tested the pedals. "I'd better get home. Thanks again for your help."

Star continued to smile, her pale eyes full of kindness. "It's no problem. See ya around, Ryan."

The boy grinned. "I hope so!"

Star watched him leave and then returned to the desk to pick up a shop towel. She heard the door to the garage open and was a little surprised when Yoshi came around the corner. "Hey, doll." He smiled as he wrapped her in his arms.

Her own arms wrapped around his neck, closing her eyes and feeling his true form beneath the holo image. She nuzzled against his neck. "So, what brings you out here?" She teased.

He let out a rumbling chuckle. "I was just thinkin' we could go ahead and lock up. I wanna go try that new restaurant up the street."

It was her turn to chuckle. "Oh, the Italian place." She opened her eyes to glance at the clock and sighed. "But it's not time to close up yet."

He stepped back to smirk down at her. "We own this place. We can close any time we want. Besides, I already asked and Dad said it was fine."

"In that case..." She leaned up to press her lips to his in a warm kiss. Yoshi let out a small approving growl, pulling her closer.

* * *

Raph pressed his thumb to the security panel and its light went from red to green. "You guys have fun last night?"

Yoshi pulled up the heavy deadbolts and pushed open the front doors. "Yeah, pizza was good too."

Raph snorted. "Don't tell Mikey or Kaz. We may not see either of them for weeks."

Yoshi laughed. "No way! They'd end up runnin' the owners off."

Raph chuckled, but paused as he spotted something. "What's that?"

Yoshi looked outside. A few paces in front of the doors was a bundle of flowers. He frowned, taking a few steps out and nudging it with his foot. You never could be too careful with the lifestyle they led. After giving it a good look over, he picked them up. Turning, he showed them to his father. "Flowers."

Raphael's brow bunched. "Who for?"

Yoshi turned the bundle over in his hands. He raised an eye-ridge in surprise. "Star?"

The idea that someone had left Star flowers didn't just bother Yoshi but Raph as well. They'd lived at this new location for more than seven years and nothing like this had ever happened before. He didn't like the thought that someone, most likely one of their customers, was getting a little too friendly with his daughter-in-law. It could also be some kind of ruse to draw them out. "Better keep her inside the garage today. I'll get one of the others to watch the front."

Yoshi had been thinking something along the same lines. He looked around them suspiciously. "Do ya think it could be Kristy?" Could Star's birth mother still be trying to make up with her?

Raph shook his head. "No, that piece of trash wouldn't spend 'er drug money on somethin' like that. And I seriously doubt she's gonna show her face around here after that black eye your mom gave 'er."

The younger turtle pulled the note off and crushed it in his hand, while half crushing the flowers in the other. "She better not." He looked down at the bundle in his hand. "I think I'll throw these away."

Raph caught his arm as he came inside, an idea striking him "Wait, I got a better use for 'em." He took them from his son as the two headed towards the back of the garage.

Just a few moments later, Cat approached with the others. She grinned as Raph handed her the bouquet. "What's this for?"

The large turtle snorted, but amusement danced in his dark eyes. "I don't gotta have a reason, do I?"

Amusement was evident in her voice as well. "Well, usually you have to have done something wrong for me to get flowers." Her brow rose. "Should I be worried?"

He laughed, pulling her to him. "No."

"Are you sure?" She teased as he leaned down.

"Yep."

"Good." Their lips met and she melted into him.

Seeing how warmly his father was being rewarded, Yoshi opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it. _Man, I should've thought of that._ Instead, he turned his attention to his wife. Slipping an arm around her, he guided her towards his work space. "I want ya to stay with me today."

Star was confused. "Why?"

"'Cause I just want ya to, that's all." He gave her a mischievous grin and she laughed.

"If that'll make you happy, big guy."

"It will." Placing a kiss on her forehead, he tucked her against him, masking the worry in his eyes.

The next morning Mira and Star were the first at the shop, so they were the ones that unlocked the front doors. "What's this?" Mira knelt beside the small heart-shaped box.

Star looked over her shoulder. "Looks like a box of chocolates."

Mira frowned. It was a strange thing to find on their doorstep. The box was still in its factory sealed plastic. It didn't look dangerous. But if it was some type of trick, it was better to be safe than sorry. She stood and grabbed a broom from nearby. Star stepped back as the turtle nudged the small box. Nothing happened. She flipped the chocolates over to see the bottom. Still nothing happened. Satisfied the item was not going to explode, she picked it up to examine it. Finding the paper attached to the top, she read it. "Huh?"

Star moved up beside her. "What is it?"

"It has your name on it." Mira handed the heart to her.

The young blonde blinked in confusion. "Me? Why would someone leave me a box of chocolates?"

Mira thought about that. "Maybe it's from Yoshi. He was sure sticking to you like glue yesterday. He might have done something wrong. You know how they get when they want to apologize - especially Uncle Raph and Yoshi."

Star's brow furrowed. That didn't make any sense. Besides the fact that she couldn't remember her getting mad about anything, it was an odd place to leave an apology gift. "If it was, why would he leave it out here? There are a thousand better places to leave it."

Mira shrugged. "I don't know." Then she grinned. "But it is chocolate."

Star gave a small chuckle. "Do you think it's safe to eat?"

"It's still in its original wrapping. I'd say it's pretty safe." Mira smiled. "And we can't let it go to waste."

Star's laughter increased as the girls turned and returned inside to make sure the candy was properly disposed of. "No, we can't."

Later that afternoon, Star settled down beside Yoshi where he was working. She smiled and he grinned. "Did ya like hangin' out with me so much yesterday, ya had to come back for more?"

She giggled. "I did enjoy hanging out with you yesterday, but, uh, why all the attention all of a sudden?"

He raised an eye-ridge at her. "What do ya mean? I don't gotta have a reason for wantin' my girl with me."

Star rolled her eyes. "Come on, what did you do?"

"Do?"

Star was starting to get annoyed. "There has to be somethin'. First, you wanted me to stay with you all day yesterday, and then this morning I found that box of chocolates you left me. It's not that I'm not enjoying the attention and all. I just wanted to see if there was a reason for it."

_Chocolates?_ Then it struck Yoshi. There had obviously been another gift left at the front doors. Not certain what to make of it, he decided to keep this information to himself. He smiled, wiped his hands on a rag, and pulled her to him for a passionate kiss. Star felt her insides rush we desire, her hands coming up to cup his face. She was breathless when he released her lips. "I just want you to know how much I love ya, doll."

Star's head was still reeling a bit from the kiss. "I love you too, big guy."

After another moment she rose to leave. And Yoshi's expression dropped to a dark frown. He stood and went to find his father. Raph was near the back door talking with Mikey. "Somebody left a box of chocolates at the front with Star's name on them."

Mikey blinked. "What?"

But Raph's frown was as deep and dark as his son's. "Again?"

Yoshi nodded. "Yeah, she thinks I put it there. I didn't say nothin'. I don't wanna scare 'er."

"Somethin's goin' on. Come on, let's go check the security video." Raph led the way into the office area.

Mikey trailed behind the two with curiosity. "What's going on?"

"Somebody's been leavin' gifts for Star." Raph sat in the computer chair and pulled up the security system from the previous night.

"Is someone hitting on her?" Mikey asked.

Yoshi scowled, anger flaring in his green eyes. "There had better not be."

The three watched as the footage sped across the screen at easily ten times normal. Nothing even remotely strange happened until about seven in the morning. A figure appeared in a jacket and hat. The person never looked at the camera as he set the heart-shaped box on the ground near the door and walked away. Raph ran the scene three more times at half-speed, but it didn't reveal anything else.

"That guy's got some nerve! I oughtta pound 'im into the ground!" Yoshi roared. And he'd have done just that if he known who to pound.

"We know when he'll show up again." Raph had no problem with his son scaring off some overly affectionate customer. They could easily spare one at this point.

Mike leaned over to take a better look at the screen. "Hey, guys, wait. Is it my imagination or is this dude like really small?"

Raph froze the image, trying to get a better idea of size. "Yeah, he is."

Yoshi scowled. "What difference does it make?"

Mikey and Raph exchanged a knowing look, before he turned back to his son. "'Cause, it means he's just a kid."

Mikey chuckled, leaning against the desk. "I'd say someone's got a case of puppy-love."

Yoshi's frown remained. "Don't care. He can't be flirtin' with _my wife_!"

"Yeah, but it ain't like you can go rough 'im up and run 'im off." Raph pointed out.

Mikey nodded. "Yeah, he's just a micro-dude."

Yoshi folded his arms with a huff. "Well, I can't just let 'im keep doin' this either!"

Raph stood and put a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, we're still gonna do somethin' about it, we're just gonna have to be a little more easy about it than ya want."

The sun had just begun to rise, coating the city in a shade of gray. Ryan hurried down the steps in front of his apartment building, headed for school. He glanced around him and stopped a short way up the block to pull a small pink teddy-bear from his backpack. Smiling to himself, he continued his walk to the next block where the large motorcycle garage took up most of the real estate there. As he squatted down to put the bear near the front door, a shadow loomed over his shoulder. Fear shot through him as someone lifted him off the ground by the back of his jacket.

"What do ya think you're doin', shrimp?" Yoshi dangled the boy in front of him with one hand, his green eyes alight with both anger and amusement.

Ryan wiggled, his mouth hanging open. "Let me go! I didn't do anything!" The boy gave a small gasp as Raph and Mikey appeared behind Yoshi. All three were still disguised by their holos, but Ryan was still seeing three very large men glaring at him.

"Yeah, ya are." Raph pointed at the bear. "What's that?"

Ryan blushed. "I, uh, was just, uh…."

"Leavin' presents for my wife." Yoshi finished for him.

Ryan's eyes grew large. "Star is married? To you?"

"Yeah, she is." Yoshi finally set the wide-eyed boy on his feet.

He stood petrified, staring up at the three men. "I – I'm sorry. I'm new around here and she was nice and pretty and-."

Yoshi tensed and Raph put up his hand to stop the boy. "We get it. But ain't she a bit old for ya?"

"And way out of your league?" Mikey added.

"And very _mine_." Yoshi half-growled with a hard glare.

Ryan's shoulders sagged, his gaze falling to the ground. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

Hearing the heartbreak in the young teens voice, Mikey put a hand on his shoulder and guided him onto the sidewalk. He began to walk him up the block. "Look, little dude, you got good taste. I'll give ya that. But let me give you some advice. Our shop is a family business and the girls that work there ain't exactly available. In fact, every one of 'em is married to a very possessive guy. Yoshi'll get over this, he probably already is. But it would be best to steer clear of the place for a while."

Ryan sighed. "I understand. But could you do me a favor? Tell her thank you for me."

Mikey smiled and ruffled his hair. "Sure, kid. Now you better get on to school." Ryan nodded and trudged off down the street.

A little later, Cat and Star found Raph, Mikey and Yoshi standing in the lobby area laughing. "What's going on?" Cat asked.

Raph held the pink teddy out to Star. She took it, but looked back up at him in confusion. He chuckled. "You had yourself a secret admirer, kiddo."

She blinked at him, then Yoshi. "I did?" A thought occurred to her. "You didn't hurt anyone, did you?"

The three males laughed. Yoshi shook his head. "No, but believe me, I wanted to until we figured out who it was."

Cat frowned. "And who was it?"

Mikey grinned. "Just this kid with a crush."

The girls exchanged looks and Star raised a blonde brow. "You don't mean that little boy that came in with his bicycle a few days ago, do you?"

"Sounds like the same kid." Mikey shot his brother and nephew a smirk. "He's been leaving you gifts the past few days."

It was Cat's turn to look a bit surprised. "Oh, has he now? Well, that explains the flowers."

"And the chocolates." Star added.

Raph reached past Yoshi to smack Mikey on the back of the head. "Bonehead!"

"Ow! Hey, what was that for?"

Cat gave Raph a look he couldn't quite read. "Hmm, I see. And just for a minute there, I thought you were tryin' to be sweet. But you were just stealing a little boy's gift and passing it off as yours." She turned and walked off towards the back of the garage, hiding her growing smile.

Raph paled. "Cat, darlin', wait a minute!" He glared at Mikey over his shoulder as he hurried after her. "You're gonna get it for this one, Mike. You just wait till later!"

Star was staring up at Yoshi with those intense pale blue eyes. So much so, that he began to squirm. "Listen, I-."

She cut him off. "Don't bother. You did the same thing. You're just as bad as him." She turned around and headed back for the lair.

Yoshi sputtered behind her as he followed. "But – but – but -! Star! Doll! Come on!" The younger turtle turned and shot his uncle the same withering glare as his father, but he left off the threat.

Mikey watched them leave, while rubbing his head. "Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. Now I got two Raphs mad at me."

The morning was spent with both Raph and Yoshi following their spouses around trying to plead with them. Cat found the situation more amusing than anything else. She strung Raph along, until she just couldn't hold it inside anymore. Then they disappeared for the rest of the day. Star was a little more hurt by what Yoshi'd done, but it wasn't as much as she led on. She was, however, a little surprised when he vanished that afternoon. She wondered where he'd gone, until she went up to their bedroom.

There she opened the door and stood in shock. Flowers, bears, and heart-shaped boxes were spread across the bed. "Let that little snot beat that!" She turned around to find him grinning down at her.

She shook her head with a laugh. "Oh, you big lug! Come here!" She grabbed his mask tails, pulling him down to her for a very warm kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he lifted her off the ground.

"Forgive me?" He asked breathlessly.

She smirked. "I forgave you this morning. It's just fun to make you sweat sometimes."

His eyes widened. "Why you little…!" He laughed. "I'm gonna make you pay for that."

Her eyes sparkled impishly. "Oh, how?"

He stepped inside and nudged the door shut with his foot. "I got a whole list of ways."

* * *

A/N: Just a bit of fun at Yoshi's expense. XD


	3. Friendship

Summary: Katsu makes a new friend.

A/N: Thanks fo reading!

* * *

Jamie stepped through the door of the music shop into the lair. The place was empty, except for Katsu who was lounging on one of the couches reading. "Where's everyone at?"

The nine-year-old turtle looked up. "Aunt Cat and Sobo took Liling shopping. Ona's making dinner. And everyone else is in the dojo." He frowned. "Uncle Leo won't let me spar with them yet."

Jamie smiled as she sat on the end of the couch. "I'll tell you a little secret." Katsu sat up; his interest piqued. She lowered her voice in a conspiratorial tone. "He's going to let you very soon."

The boy's eyes lit up. "Really?"

She grinned. "Yes, I have it from a very good source."

Katsu almost bounced with excitement. "When?"

"Hmm, let's see…" She tapped her chin in pretend thought. "Something is coming up in just over a month – something special."

Katsu was on his feet. "My birthday!"

She chuckled. "Yes."

"Awesome!"

Jamie glanced towards the dojo. "You know, since everyone else is busy, would you like to help me with something?"

Thoroughly amped up, he grinned. "Sure!"

"You'll need a holo. We'll be in the shop."

He didn't even bother with a response as he dashed out of the room to return mere seconds later with one of the small units. He turned the dial to adjust it to his height, hooked it on his belt and turned it on. "Let's go!"

She chuckled again as she stood and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. They stepped through the door that connected the living room to the music shop, which locked automatically behind them, and walked over to where several boxes were stacked. "I need to put all these books and supplies on the shelves, but I still have another lesson in a few minutes. Would you mind helping me put them away?"

Katsu smiled up at her through the holo-image of a human boy with light skin and brown hair. "Yeah!" The young turtle was just glad to be doing something other than studying for a while. The two opened the boxes and Jamie showed him where everything went. A few minutes later, a woman and a boy around Katsu's age entered the shop.

Jamie stood to greet them. "Well, hello, Jacob."

The boy gave her a small smile. "Hello, Mrs. Hamato."

"I know we're a little early, but I have an appointment to get to." The woman handed over a case with a trumpet in it.

"Oh, that's no problem. Jacob's my last lesson today."

"His father will be picking him up." The woman's voice dripped with irritation. "I told him not to be late."

Jamie just smiled and said goodbye. Jacob's mother didn't even look at him as she hurried out the door. The boy didn't seem surprised by the action either. Katsu frowned as he watched his aunt take him on into the back room. He could see how lonely Jacob felt. An hour later, he had just finished putting away the last items when the two reemerged.

Jamie smiled brightly. "Oh, thank you, sweetheart! I really appreciate your helping out." The phone rang and she went to answer it.

The young turtle waved at the other boy. "Hi, I'm Katsu."

"I'm Jake."

"Have you been taking lessons for very long? I don't remember seeing you around before."

The boy shook his dark-haired head. "No, this is just my third one."

"Do you like it? My aunt's a pretty good teacher." Katsu chuckled. "She tried with me, but I guess I'm not very good with musical instruments." He blushed. "I even broke one of the drumsticks."

That made Jacob laugh. "I did too. The trumpet is my fifth instrument to try."

Jamie rejoined them. "Jacob, that was your father. He said he was going to be a bit late."

The boy sighed. "I understand."

"You can hang out with me until he gets here." Katsu offered.

Jamie smiled as the two boys began to talk again, then wandered back over to the register to give them space. This was only Jacob's fourth visit to her little music shop, but it was already becoming clear he was not particularly high priority for his squabbling parents. Across from her the door to the lair opened and Leo entered wearing his holo. He raised an eye-ridge at the two boys, before joining her at the register.

"I thought you'd be done by now. Dinner's ready."

She accepted the small kiss he gave her and tilted her head at the boys. "Looks like I've got to babysit for a bit. His parents are," she rolled her eyes, "busy people."

Leo frowned as he glanced at them. "Katsu seems to like him."

She nodded. "Jacob's a good kid. I've never had any trouble out of him at all."

Katsu came over followed by Jacob. "Uncle Leo, can we skateboard until his dad gets here?"

Leo gave a slow nod. "Alright."

Katsu grinned and turned to Jacob. "I'll be right back." He ran back into the lair and returned with two boards. The two boys started for the front door.

"Katsu, stay where we can see you." Leo told him firmly.

"Yes, sir." Katsu called as the two hurried outside.

Jamie smiled, wrapping her arms around her husband's waist. "I'm not sure I've seen Jacob smile that much before."

Leo slipped his arms around her as they watched the boys through the large front windows. "Katsu does seem to be very intuitive. He probably sensed he needed a friend."

It was nearly twenty minutes before Jacob's father arrived. By then, the boys were already talking about the next time Jacob came for his music lesson and playing together again. Over the next few weeks the boys played together every chance they could. Jake only lived a few blocks away and his parents often walked him over to the shop for lessons. Soon he was showing up on his own and the two boys would play in the alley beside the music shop – skateboarding, playing basketball and soccer and street hockey, and anything else they could fit into the small space.

One day several weeks later, Jake arrived at the music shop to see if Katsu wanted to play with a new soccer ball he'd gotten. But Jamie was in a lesson with someone. She spotted him through the glass door of the practice room and put up one finger, asking him to wait for just a minute. The boy nodded and then looked around the shop. He spotted the door he'd seen his friend come in and out of. _I can just go get him myself._

He stopped beside the door to look at the security panel. It normally had a red light on, but now it didn't seem to be on at all. He tested the knob and it opened. Glancing around, he stepped inside and shut the door behind him. The room beyond was large and a staircase with an iron railing climbed up along the far wall. There was a big tv and several couches and chairs. "Wow." He was busy eyeing the different game stations and piles of games, when he heard voices.

"Kara! Give that back!"

"No, I want to play with it!"

"No way! You'll break it! And I just got it!"

The first voice Jake recognized as Katsu's but the other was a little girl. He was about to call out to his friend when Kara came flying around the corner from the kitchen. She stopped short, her eyes wide. Katsu appeared behind her and snatched the small handheld video game from her. Then, he noticed her stare. Raising his own gaze to see what had stopped her, he was surprised to find his friend staring right back at them. At first, the boy's very surprised expression didn't register with the young turtle. "Oh, hey, Jake." But as the boy continued to stare, it clicked. They didn't have any holos on.

Kara suddenly scrambled behind him. "Katsu?" She half whimpered.

The young turtle wasn't sure exactly what to do. "Um…."

Jake tilted his head. "Is that you, Katsu?"

"Uh, yeah…." The turtle bit his lip, feeling Kara grip the edge of his shell. He turned to her. "Go get my dad."

Kara looked from him to their little intruder and back. "But-."

"Just go get him."

"Okay." She ran around the couch and up the stairs.

Katsu moved towards his friend. "How did you get in here?"

Jake pointed at the door. "Through there."

Katsu frowned. "It wasn't locked?"

"No." Jake squinted at him. "Why are you dressed up like a turtle? It is kinda cool looking though."

Katsu grinned. "Really?"

"Yeah, but you might want to change. I wanted to play with my new ball." He held out the new soccer ball.

The ten-year-old opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by K-three's voice. "What in the world!" The Turtleoid looked from the human boy to his son. "Katsu, what is going on here?"

"Um, this is my friend, Jake." He shrugged at his father, silently telling him that he hadn't let the boy in. He looked back at his friend. "This is my dad."

Jake just blinked up at K-three. "Are you guys having a party?"

K-three lifted an eye-ridge and moved to the intercom. "Leo, we got a… little problem. Can you come downstairs?"

A moment passed until there was a response. "What is it?"

"I think you'll need to see this for yourself."

"I'll be right down."

K-three released the button and moved around to sit on the couch. "So, uh, Jake. I hear you and Katsu have been playing a lot together lately. Have you been having fun?"

Jake grinned. "Oh, yeah! I came to see if he could come play with me and my new ball."

K-three smiled at his son. "Well, if you still want to in a few minutes, you can." Katsu grinned.

Leo appeared from the dojo. "Jacob?" He looked down at Katsu. "How'd he get in?"

Katsu gestured at the door. "He said he came through the music shop. He said it was unlocked."

Leo frowned. "Hmm…."

Jake was beginning to understand that something wasn't quite right here. "You guys aren't wearing costumes, are you?"

"No." Leo moved slowly around to stand in front of the boy with Katsu at his side. "We really are turtles."

Jake stared up at the large turtle, then at his friend. He and Katsu had become good friends over the past month and he'd never suspected anything like this. The door to the music shop suddenly opened to reveal a frantic looking Jamie. "Oh, no." She met Leo's eyes. "The locks not working. I'm sorry, I didn't notice it earlier."

He put up a calming hand. "It's alright. I don't believe any real harm has been done." Jamie closed the door behind her as Leo knelt down in front of the boy. "Are you scared of us?" Jake shook his head and Leo smiled. "Good. Now, you can stay and play with Katsu as much as you want. But we have only one rule. You can't tell anyone about us, not even your parents. Do you understand? Can you do that?"

Jake looked around the room, then met Katsu's eyes. He smiled broadly. "Yeah, I can do that! I think it's cool!"

Leo and K-three chuckled, Katsu grinned, and Jamie let out a relieved breath. The leader patted the boy's shoulder. "That's good."

Katsu's gold-brown eyes glowed with excitement. "Awesome! Can we go play now?" The young turtle looked between his father and uncle.

K-three chuckled. "Yeah, why don't you go play in the dojo."

Leo called after them as they started out of the room. "Katsu, stay away from the weapons."

"Okay!" Katsu called back as the two ran off into the dojo.

Jamie hurried over to Leo as he stood. "I'm sorry. I should have been paying better attention. I should have noticed the panel sooner."

Leo squeezed her arms warmly. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault, accidents happen."

"We're just lucky it was just him that came through and not someone else." K-three smiled. He'd seen how much his son had been enjoying having a friend more his age.

Jamie was still a little worried. "You don't think he'll say anything?"

Leo shook his head with a small smile. "No, like you said he's a good kid. And I think he really needs Katsu's friendship right now. Maybe they both do."

* * *

A/N: I still feel like there was something missing here, but I can't put my finger on it. Oh, well. This one is really just to introduce Jake. Katsu might need him a buddy in the future. :)


	4. Buds

Chapter summary: Something new is happening between Shinta and Liling.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I think you'll like this one! XD

* * *

Shinta pushed open the roof access door to step into the late evening sun. He was a little surprised to find Liling sitting on the bench, a book open in her lap which she clearly wasn't looking at. He had intended to come up and meditate in his favorite spot in the greenhouse, but the way the young teen was looking off at the sun just beginning to dip behind the buildings tugged at his heart. "Hey, what are you doing?"

She looked up at him, the orange light causing flecks of gold to appear in her dark green eyes. "Math." She looked back down at the book. "But I don't get it."

Shinta smiled. "Would you like some help?"

She smiled back. "Yes!"

He chuckled and settled on the bench beside her, close enough that they could both see the book. "Algebra, huh?"

"Mama says I have to learn it, but I don't see why."

Shinta chuckled again. "Aunt Sarah can be a pretty strict teacher at times."

"Can you help, gēge?" Her dark hair fluttered in the soft breeze carrying with it the pleasant scent of ginger and Juniper berries.

It still felt odd for her to call him big brother, perhaps even odder now than it had when she'd first arrived four years ago. "Yeah, no problem." As he helped her work through the lesson, the sun slipped further towards the horizon. Liling was sharp and soon she'd caught on. "See, you got it."

She threw her arms around him in a sudden embrace. "Oh, thank you, gēge!"

The turtle felt himself blush as he returned it, a warmth spreading in his chest. "You're welcome." She sat back and smiled brightly up at him. That's when he recalled the look in her eyes earlier. "Was there something else bothering you?"

She blinked, then frowned, diverting her gaze. "Oh, it was nothing."

"Well, it had to have been something or it wouldn't have been bothering you." He pointed out.

She still didn't meet his eyes. "It's silly."

"I'll decide if it's silly or not. Now come on, what is it?" He gave her shoulder a small nudge of encouragement.

She sighed. "Sometimes I wish there was someone closer to my age to hang out with."

He frowned. "Katsu is close to your age."

She shook her head. "Not that close. And he's a boy."

Shinta was beginning to understand. He'd been there many times in his life as odd turtle out. That tug came at his heart again. "You mean because he's still acting like a kid and you're nearly fifteen?"

She gave a small nod. "Besides, he has Jake to play with now."

He squeezed her shoulder and when she looked up, he gave her a small smile. "It won't always be like that. I've been left out a lot too. Yoshi's the closest to me, but he's still six years older than me. Now that I'm older though, it doesn't seem to make that much difference anymore. Just give it a little time. In a few more years, Katsu will be a teenager too and you'll be into the same things again."

A blush danced across her cheeks. There was so much understanding and patience in his blue-gray gaze. Her heart warmed at it. Although she knew her new family loved her, it often felt like she was forgotten in the chaos that normally plagued the Hamatos' home. She looked like she was going to say something, but decided against it. Instead, she just smiled, the last orange rays disappearing from the sky. "Thanks."

The roof door opened and Don stopped in the threshold. "Oh, there you are. Go put your things away. We're going to the movies."

Liling lit up. Even after nearly four years of being in the Hamato family, it still felt like a treat to go out. She gathered her book and papers, and hurried over to the entrance. She paused beside her adoptive father. "Can Shinta come too?"

Don shrugged, glancing at his nephew. "Sure, you want to come?"

"What are you going to see?"

"Some action movie. You know how Sarah is."

Shinta chuckled. "Yeah." He glanced at Liling who smiled hopefully back at him. "Why not? Sounds like fun."

Liling grinned and hurried off down the steps to put her book away. Don waited for Shinta to join him before they both headed to the fourth floor. "What were you guys talking about?"

"She was having trouble with algebra."

Don nodded. "And?"

"She said she was feeling a little left out. You know, with no one around her age."

Donnie sighed. He'd been suspecting as much and so had Sarah. It was one of the reasons they'd decided to go out. "Mira went through the same thing around her age."

Shinta frowned a little. "I did too."

The older turtle put an arm around his shoulders. "Yeah, I guess you did." He chuckled. "That was a long time ago though."

Shinta snorted. "Not that long ago."

Don's laugh increased and he patted him on the shell. "Meet you downstairs. I'm going to see if Sarah's ready yet."

A few minutes later, the four were walking down the sidewalk, headed for the theater. Don and Sarah walked behind Shinta and Liling, watching them talk about some other movie they'd seen. Sarah lifted a brow and looked up at her mate. "What do you think about that?"

Don smiled. "You know, I think I'm alright with it."

She smiled as well. "Do you think they know?"

He chuckled. "Nope, they haven't got a clue."

* * *

A/N: This is the last of the one-shots. Coming up "Respite or Maybe Not." It's going to be fun!


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